What questions can you ask about your own business as you witness this drama unfold?

Palm Inc. says the Pre can again connect to iTunes — only a week after Apple Inc. shut it out. A software update delivered automatically to the phones re-enables the transfer of music, photos and video from iTunes to Pres, according to a Palm blog post made late Thursday.

The question now is how long this featured iTunes function will remain available to the Palm Pre before Apple stamps it out again.
The iTunes battle is part of a larger rivalry developing between Apple and Palm, whose chairman and CEO, Jon Rubinstein, once was an executive at Apple and oversaw the iPod.

The $200 Pre launched in early June as a competitor to Apple Inc.’s iPhone, and became the first non-Apple device that could connect directly to iTunes. Apple crippled that function with an iTunes update last week, saying Pres were “falsely pretending to be iPods.” 

This can happen when a Palm Pre is connected to a computer through a USB port.  The device gives out a hardware vendor code that Apple has been assigned by an industry standards group, the USB Implementers Forum. ITunes then recognizes the Pre as an Apple device and allows users to transfer content to it.

Say you’re in business.  You’re not exactly a ‘first-adopter’ yet you’re not too far behind.  Does this make you a wanna-be or do you have a perfectly legitimate claim to first rights? 

Or….is the question something entirely different when you shift your perspective?

PALM PRE, WebOS, iTunes and PROFITS Principles

If we think of the PROFITS Principles:  What is Palm attempting to do?

 POSITION ONLY FOR GROWTH
Palm has been jockeying for positioning in and around Apple for a very long time.
Though this may be merely perception, there appears to be a strong ‘copy cat’ strategy at work.
What do you think is the best way for Palm to position for growth - where they may win in their market space, rather than continue to come in as a sometimes close second - and be perceived as a sore loser?
What are the unique characteristics that Palm has to offer on its own reconnaissance?

REALITY
The reality is that Palm is always a step or more behind Apple.
The latest example is another indication that Apple is not going to let the grass grow under its feet.  In this latest episode, Apple makes it clear that they will next change the software so it is no longer able to be ‘tricked’ by Palm around the issue of the USB port code.
What are some of the positive differentiators that Palm has to better position itself as a key competitor in its market?

FLEXIBILITY
How can Palm demonstrate its ability to adapt and be flexible in the market to drive its own best competitive advantage?  It has demonstrated its ability to quickly adapt with the new Palm Pre.  Can Palm create a newer, better hardware or software application that stands on its own?
How else can Palm differentiate itself in either the music market for the future or in another market where it can be the first mover?

As more companies find technology the way to seamlessly integrate software and web ware from other companies - what are the rules of engagement?  Is there an etiquette that is about to emerge or will companies fight dirty to get what they consider to be their fair share of the market?

As always - please contribute your experience, wisdom and comment to the PROFITS Principles Community!

Warm regards,
Rosalie